Improvement in steam-traps



2 Sheets-Sheetz JAMES H. BLEssiNe. Improvement in Steam-Traps.

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Patented May 2, i871.

JAMES H. eLEsslNe. zsheetsfsheet@ Improvement lin Steam-Traps.

N0. 114,257. Patented May 2,1871.

timidi Stura stort titula.

JAMES H. BLESSING, 0E ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELE ANDFREDERICK TOWNSEND, 0F SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patent No. 114,257, dated May 2, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN Sl'EAlVl-TRAPS.

The Schedule referred to ln these Letters Patent and making part of thesaine.

To all whom it Imay concern Be it known that I, JAMES H. BLEssiNG, ofAlbany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented anew and improved Steam-Trap; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which-Figure 1, plate 1, is an elevation ofone side of the case of the trap,showing the receiving and dischargy" ing hot-water valvebox.

' Figure 2, plate 1, is a vertical section through a valve-box forreceiving and discharging the actuating agent.

Figure 3, plate 1, is a view of onel side of the valvebox of tig. 2,showing the mechanism for trippingr the valves in this box. Y

-Fgu're 4, plate 2, is a vertical section' taken centrally through thetrap-case, and its two valve-boxes and exihle diaphragm.

Similar letters of reference indicate parts in the several figures.

The object of my invention is to so construct a trap,- to be used incombination with apparatus for heating buildings by steam, that thewater of condensation will be automatically forced back again into theboiler, thus keeping the latter constantly supplied with pure hot water,as will be hereinafter explained.

corresponding my invention, I will explain its construction andoperation.

In the accompanying drawing- A represents a case, which is preferablymade of two concavo-convexplates, bolted together by their anges, asshown in tig. 4. This case A contains Within it a iiexible diaphragm, S,which divides it into two apartments, T T', between which there is nocommunication whatever;

The diaphragm S is constructed ofwater-proof canvas c c, rubber c* c4,and an interposed filling of felt, or other suitable non-conductingsubstance in lieu of the felt. The object of this non-conductingflexible diaphragm will he hereinafter explained.

Theend ofthe water-pipe containing the hot water which was condensed' inthe heat-radiating coils or conduits of the warming apparatus isconnected ati to one end of the valve-box C, which is fastened to case Aso as` to communicate by way of passage a with the apartment T on oneside of diaphragm S.

Directly above inlet-pipe 'i is a partition, 1.1', having a seat forreceiving an inlet-valve, V, the stem of which is received into the boreof an adjusting handwheel stein, R, as shown in iig. 1, plate 1.

Between the partition k', which is perforated and provided with anoutlet, L, of the valvesbox C, is au- To enable others skilled in theart to understandother partition, k, which is perforated and providedwith an outlet, V', beneath which the hot water es- Capes on its wayback to the boiler as this water 1s forced out of the apartment Tthrough passage a.

The valve V prevents the *hot water from passing back to the boiler fromthe valve-box, and the valveV V' preventsthe hot water in pipe L frompassing back into the valve-box.

By means 'of a anged hub, c2, the diaphragm 1s centrally secured to arod, D, which rod passes through a cylindrical chamber, b, inclosed in atube, N, which tube has a stuiing-box, s, of suitable descriptionapplied to its outer end, through which the rod'l) passes, as shown infig. 4.

The tube N communicates with the apartment T of' case A, and also with achamber, E, which'is contained within a valve-box, B, constructed on topof the tube N.

In the center of the chamber E is an oscillating rocking va1ve-trip, e,which is applied fast on a horizontal transverse stem, P, carrying onits outer end a slotted collar,- p, shown in fig. 3.

On the extremities of the trip e the free ends of pivoted valve-liftersf q rest.

The valvedifter f receives upon it the bifurcated end of the valve-stemh2 of a receiving-valve, h, which when lifted allows either water, air,or ste-ain, under pressure, to enter the chamber E through a receivingpassage, x.

The valve-lifter g passes through the stem hfi of a valve, h, whichlatter is intended for closing an outlet or waste-passage, 0.

The springs t tin caps d d operate respectively u pon the valve-stems h2h3 to keep the valves down upon their seat when they are not acted on bythe lifting devices.

To the outer end of the rod D an arm, F, is rigidly secured, the outerend of which is reduced, screwthreaded, and provided with a nut.

On this reduced end of' arm E the slotted end n' of a connecting-rod, n,is applied so as to slide freely, limited only by th'e length of theslot.

The opposite end of the rod n is pivoted to the lower shortest arm of a.vertically-vibrating loaded arm, w, which has a weight, W. applied onits upper end, as shown in iig; 3.

I have thus described the several parts constituting my improvedsteam-trap. The operation is as fol# lows:

The trap is adjusted in communication with 'a system of steam-heating pipes or coils so that the water of condensation can pass into theapartment T of case A, through valve-b`o (l, and out again through thepipe L leading to the boiler.

On the opposite side of the case A a pipe leading trom a hydrant, a,reservoir, or other suitable source from which a head ot' water can beconveniently obtained, is put in communication with the inlet-passage X,above valvefh, so that when this valve h is raised (the opposite oroutlet-valve hl being shut) the water under pressure will rush throughchamber E, through passage I), and into the apartment '1" of case A. Theoutlet-pipe O may be carried olf whereverrit may7 be convenient todischarge the waste water.

The steam from the boiler is admitted to the system of heat-radiating.pipes or coils above referred to, and as it passes through them and isconstant-ly e'ondensing,-the hot water resnltingfrom the condensation isforced from the waste-pipe by the pressure of steam through the openingclosed by valve V into the valvebox C, and thence into the/apartment Tof case A, thus pushing the diaphragm S inward and lilling the case. Nowif, on the other side of the case A, the actuating agent above named beadmitted by lifting valve 7L, it will pass through chambers E and b intothe case A on the opposite or empty side of the diaphragm, and if' thepressure besucient it will push the diaphragm back again, and thus forcethe hot water, previously received into the case, out through passage a'into valve-box G, and thence beneath valve V', and into the boiler'again.

The loaded lever 'w has its fulcrum loosely on the stem P ofthevalve-trip e, and passes through an enlarged slot made verticallythrough the collar 11, which is fast on the said stem. Now, as thediaphragm is pressed toward valve-box B by the accumulation of water andforce of steam in apartment T, the arm F on the red D moving outwardwill carry with it the loaded lever w, until the weight W passes avertical plane, intersecting the' axis of i stem P, when the weightWwillfall to one'side and lift the valve h, (the valve h* beingshut,) andthus establish a communication between the apartment '1" and theactuating agent.

The force thus brought to act on that side of the diaphragm next theapartment T will force the diaphragm toward the valve-box C,'shut valveV, and open valve V', thus compelling the hot water in apartment 'l toow back into the boiler.

`lWhen the apartment T is thus emptied and the diaphragm and its rod Dhave moved the loaded lever w past a vertical plane, the weight W willfall to one side and liftthc valve hl., close valve li, and thus allowthe water in the apartment T to pass olf freely through outlet O,whilethe apartment T is being again filled with hot water.

In this way and by these means the operation goes on automaticallyandconstantly to repeat itself.

The diaphragmS receives ou one side hot water and on the other side coldwater, consequently, by making this diaphragm a non-conductor of heat,the temperature of the hot Water while in the case A will not bematerially reduced. A

instead ot'a attened Caseland a flexible diaphragm, as hereinabovedescribed, a cylinder' having a piston working in it may be employed,and is considered by me the equivalent of the case and diaphragm.

Having described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. l'lhenon-conducting diaphragm S, or its equivalent, working in a case, A, incombination with inlet and outlet-valves applied to said case onopposite sides ol' said diaphragm, and operating substantially asdescribed and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the case A, or its equivalent, of the hot-watervalve-box C, containing inletvalve V- and outlet-valve V', andcommunicating by way of passage a, with the hot-water apartment T,substantially as described.

3. In combination with the diaphragm-case A, the receivingand'discharging-valve box B, the diaphragmrod D, and suitablevalvelifting devices, operating automatically on the valves in said box,substantially as described.

4. The non-conducting diaphragm S, made iexible, substantially asdescribed.

' JAMES H. BLESSING..

VVituesses JOHN BRENNAN, JNO. W. MGNAMARA.

